BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 cases are starting to rise again as temperatures grow colder and the holidays loom, an ominous sign that statewide covid regulations and mask mandates aren’t leaving any time soon. The Illinois Department of Public Health released numbers today showing that cases are continue to steadily rise, and hospitalizations are starting to spike again. There were over 17,000 new confirmed and probable cases reported last week. The 7-day average for cases is now 2,671. IDPH reported 2,060 new confirmed and probable cases Monday. The state also said over 1,300 people... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: If you refuse to be vaccinated or comply with workplace covid mandates, you could be fired from your job in Illinois, according to a new law in the state. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed into law an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act allowing employers to penalize employees if they refuse to follow workplace rules about covid, including mandatory vaccinations, testing, and other mandates. The Illinois Senate voted 31-24 to approve the proposal; the measure passed out of the House on a 64-52-2 vote. Pritkzer signed the amendment into law Monday. The... Read More

If you refuse to be vaccinated or comply with workplace covid mandates, you could be fired from your job in Illinois, according to a new law in the state. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed into law an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act allowing employers to penalize employees if they refuse to follow workplace rules about covid, including mandatory vaccinations, testing, and other mandates. The Illinois Senate voted 31-24 to approve the proposal; the measure passed out of the House on a 64-52-2 vote. Pritkzer signed the amendment into law Monday. The Health Care Right... Read More

BREAKING: Illinois employers could very soon be allowed to fire employees who refuse to get vaccinated or comply with other covid-19 regulations. The Health Care Right of Conscience Act amendment bans employees from using their moral beliefs as a reason to refuse to comply with a workplace’s covid mandates, which could include mandatory vaccinations. The Illinois Senate voted 31-24 to approve the proposal late Thursday night. This measure passed out of the House on a 64-52-2 vote Wednesday. The new amendment now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker to be signed into the law, and it certainly looks... Read More

Illinois employers could be allowed to fire employees who refuse to get vaccinated or comply with other covid-19 regulations if a new mandate from Governor JB Pritzker is implemented. The Health Care Right of Conscience Act amendment would not allow employees to use their moral beliefs as a reason to refuse to comply with a workplace’s covid mandates, which could include mandatory vaccinations. State legislators are expected to take up the measure this week. The Health Care Right of Conscience Act has actually been a law since 1998 and was driven by healthcare providers having moral objections... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: California is becoming the first state to mandate covid-19 vaccines for kids attending school once the shots are federally approved for their age groups, and with Illinois following many of the same paths as the most-populous U.S. state, could Illinois be next? Several school districts in California are already requiring the vaccine for students, and the statewide mandate will begin for grades 7-12, then move to K-6, by summer 2022, pending FDA approval of the vaccines for those age groups. “These requirements are working, across the country,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois is expanding mental health programs for farmers and those working in agricultural programs, Gov. JB Pritzker announced this morning at the Illinois Farm Progress Show, the nation’s largest outdoor farm event. Farmers’ mental health is being addressed and helped by the new program, which is especially crucial during the spiking covid-19 pandemic, Pritzker said. “No industry merges innovation and tradition quite like this one,” Pritkzer said, “and doing so while maintaining sustenance, which is integral for our communities. That is no small responsibility... Read More

Illinois is back under statewide restrictions TODAY in response to rising covid-19 numbers. What do Illinois residents need to know about the restrictions, and how could there possibly be MORE restrictions coming in the future? Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced last week that beginning today, there would be new statewide restrictions to attempt to stop the spread of the virulent new delta variant, particularly among unvaccinated people, who have been hit particularly hard by it. “Nearly all Illinoisans who are hospitalized are those who are unvaccinated. From January to July, 98 percent... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law today sweeping new programs to overhaul the state’s mental health care system, including groundbreaking new laws regarding sending mental health professionals to 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls. Under the new law, the Community Emergency Services And Support Act, Illinois is just the third state in the nation to now require insurance to cover mental health disorders and substance abuse issues. It also requires officials receiving 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls involving mental health issues to include not just a police response but response from a... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Covid-19 metrics are rapidly accelerating across Illinois, an ominous sign that more mitigations and a potential shutdown could be on the horizon. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, over the previous three days, cases are up 7,858 (up 2,256 compared to last weekend). Individual day’s numbers are: Saturday: +3,034 Sunday: +2,259 Monday: +2,565 7-day Average: 2,713 (+321) Positivity: 4.9% (+0.3%) Hospitalizations: 1,384 (+184) Deaths: +29 (3-day total, up 18 or +163%) Last week, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a return to covid mitigations... Read More